Some months ago when I committed myself to another serious round with The Dressy Adventuress, I realized I needed to have an outside consultant who could offer some insights about any number of issues I’d be confronting. In addition, I figured if I had someone else to report to, perhaps he/she could help hold my feet to the fire to a higher degree and I would see more progress.
As mentioned in my last blog entry, that academic friend is David Dominic, Earth & Environmental Sciences department chair at Wright State University. I might mention that David presented at the AWP conference in Boston a couple weeks ago on a panel discussing ‘Knowledge and Manifestation: Science in Contemporary Poetry.’ We are scheduled to meet next week and I’m eager to hear how things went.
I focus on Dr. David today because of an observation he made in an email over the winter that got me to thinking about my writing process. Here’s what he wrote in response to a comment I made on my difficulty making progress:
I do know that writing is hard work and is best approached as such. To students, I stress the ability to write non-linearly, by which I mean the opposite of the directive given to the White Rabbit: 'Begin at the beginning,' the King said gravely, 'and go on till you come to the end: then stop.' If you can see the whole, you should be able to write parts of any piece. I think this is critical for getting around ‘blocks.’
That got me to thinking. Indeed, I have organized The Dressy Adventuress in outline form a number of times now. Each new iteration seems a bit tighter and I find that a good thing. And as new/remembered ideas come up in my thinking, I can add them by hand onto the hard copy outline that is my master blueprint.
Up to now, though, I figured I’d be starting with chapter one and progressing until finished, as the White Rabbit was advised. With David’s suggestion that writing does not have to work like that, I reset my thinking and came to the conclusion that writing a book can be very much like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Assemble the border first [outline], then sort pieces by color and content, working the myriad variables until they find their long lost partners.
Since David’s suggestion, I have continued my research by reading and note taking, then writing ‘concept pieces’ about that research in three to five page documents. I liken the process to sorting and organizing the jigsaw pieces. I figure sometime down the road these segments will come together in some logical order awaiting segues and transitions that will render the book organized, and thus readable.
Life still consorts to keep me from my book writing tasks. For the last week I have been in Hilton Head with the lovely Cindy Lou, giving her an opportunity to shed some winter blues and get her feet in some warm sand. I figured I’d be note taking while she sunbathes, but such hasn’t been the case. Being this close to the beach is too tempting!
So upon our return home this weekend I’ll reinstall myself in my basement writing post next week and get back into the process of assembling my Camp Mavooshen puzzle. Such seems workable. Stay tuned.
Today’s elder idea: Science fiction is more than just our collective dreams for a human race that reaches to the stars. In many ways, the dreams of yesterday are becoming the realities of today and the path for tomorrow.
George Takei, from his internet book, Oh Myyy!
Reading Mr. Sulu was more fun that working on my writing this week.
image: Millicent Todd Bingham cutting birthday cake with long time camp director Carl Buchheister standing by. (1960)
From the Hog Island Audubon Camp picture archive.
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